Why are Comments from Achieve, Inc. all over Arizona’s Redline version of the ELA and Math Standards?

Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas, whose campaign promise was to "eliminate the Common Core standards," issued a Dec. 19, 2016 Press Release to the public stating, “These new standards represent the final step in the repeal and replacement of Common Core in Arizona and they reflect the thoughts and recommendations of thousands of Arizona citizens.” 

Nowhere does she mention the role that Achieve, Inc. played in reviewing and commenting on Arizona’s "Redline" versions of the English/Language Arts (ELA) standards, the K-5 Math Standards, and the 6-8 and High School Math Standards.  You will find literally hundreds of comments from this organization, more than from anyone else.

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State Board of Education Ignores Governor, Parents, and Own Policy; Rubber Stamps Common Core for Another 7 Years

Members of the State Board of Education’s Arizona Standards Development Committee (ASDC) speak out.

"Preempting the Arizona Standards Development Committee (ASDC) that was about to conclude 18 months of work, on December 19 the State Board of Education (SBE) voted to impose Common Core standards on all Arizona schools—likely at a tremendous cost to the state’s recent education gains!  

In 2010, the SBE adopted "Common Core" for Arizona schools. Parents and teachers soon started having difficulty learning and teaching them. 

Like many government mandates, Common Core benefited those who place profits above our children’s future.   Children who loved math started to hate math.  Children who loved writing started to hate writing.  Parents recognized a problem.  Sometimes, parents with engineering and math degrees couldn’t help their children with basic arithmetic.  

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Please Comment on Arizona’s Existing Science Standards (2004) and Social Studies Standards (2005)

As you recall, public comments regarding Arizona’s 2016 Draft English/Language Arts and Math Standards ended October 3, 2016.  Thank you for commenting on them!

We now have the opportunity to comment on the existing Science Standards (2004) and Social Studies Standards (2005). The public survey to provide feedback on these existing standards will be available through December 3, 2016.

Click HERE for the direct link to the Science Standards (2004).

Click HERE for the direct link to the Social Studies Standards (2005).  

To provide feedback please visit Science and Social Studies Standards – Public Feedback.  According to the Arizona Department of Education, educators (K-12 and higher education) may apply to serve on a revision committee for each of the content areas. The application for committee members will remain open for the duration of the revision process.

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Recommended Modifications to 2016 AZ Draft English/Language Arts Standards: Richard W Hawkins

The following modifications were submitted by Richard W Hawkins, USAF, Lt Col (ret) to the Standards Review committee of the Arizona State Board of Education.

His recommendations included suggestions to modify:  1) Introduction of the 2016 Draft ELA Standards;  2) draft ELA Standards; and 3) Glossary of the 2016 Draft ELA Standards 

He also included the following papers/articles:  Develop the Skills for Finding Truth and Teach and Develop the Skills to use the Laws of Logic and Identify Logical Fallacies, in addition to a Religious Worldview Chart.  (Click HERE to access it.)    

(Please note that the Comment period closed on October 3, 2016.)

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Developmentally Inappropriate Standards for K-3 Should be Removed

In spite of "over 200 teachers spending over 6,000 volunteer hours to complete a comprehensive revision on the standards," the 2016 Arizona Draft Standards have hardly been changed, especially for Kindergarten through Grade 3.  They are still Common Core.  They are still developmentally inappropriate.  You have until Oct. 3 to make a difference in a child’s education!  Please click HERE to comment.  Or send an email to the Arizona State Board inbox at inbox@azsbe.az.gov.

Grades K-3 are critically important, because whatever is learned in these grades affects a child’s success in every grade that follows.  

The English Language Arts and Math Executive Summaries indicate that the review Committees considered Clarity, Cognitive Demand, and Measurability. 

Why didn’t they ask this question?   “Is the standard developmentally appropriate? 

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2016 Draft of the Arizona Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics

The first draft of the "Arizona Standards for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics" has been completed and is available for public comment on the Arizona State Board of Education website. Click HERE to read them.    

We have until Oct. 3, 2016 to submit comments.  Some improvements over Common Core include: 1) the removal of wording that directed teachers how to teach a standard in a specific way, 2) the over-emphasis on informational text has been lifted, and 3) cursive writing is back in.  

Unfortunately, the standards you will see in Kindergarten through Grade 3 continue to be developmentally inappropriate.  Young children are not little adults.  Their brains haven’t developed to where they can reflect on their own thinking.  They cannot think abstractly.  They cannot empathize or view the world as others do.  

In Kindergarten especially, children are internally motivated to be independent and creative, and this is very important to them.  They are learning to tie their shoes, erect a sand castle, pull up their pants, tie a bow.  They are working on competence, mastery, and creativity.  

This is not the time to encourage dependence and conformity.  It is not appropriate to demand that they express opinions about an author’s motives, or collaborate and seek others’ suggestions and incorporate them into their writing.  Some children will “get it.”  However, many more won’t.  Teachers will have to drill, drill, and drill the right responses into them.  This time would be better spent teaching grade-appropriate materials.  Children who cannot meet these standards will experience much stress and a loss of creativity.  They will wrongly suffer disapproval from teachers and parents, and might be considered “delayed” and subjected to remedial classes they don’t need.  See Dr. Megan Koschnick’s 9/9/2013 videotaped presentation, which she gave at a  conference at the University of Notre Dame. The event was sponsored by American Principles Project. 

If you are a parent, grandparent, teacher, concerned citizen, or if you specialize in child development, please comment on some of these inappropriate standards.  Please also copy me at anitalchristy@gmail.com, so I can share your comments with members of our Mommy Lobby.  We want to ensure that the State Board is made aware of these serious issues. 

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Has YOUR Legislator been Endorsed by Pro Common Core, Anti-Parent “Stand for Children”?

Stand for Children/Arizona has just endorsed 26 candidates for the Arizona Legislature in the Primary Election on August 30.  “Stand for Children Arizona does not take its endorsement process lightly.  These candidates have been fully vetted to make sure they currently agree with, and will stay true to a majority of Stand’s policies and educational priorities that we believe will bring the quickest results." 

 A review of Stand for Children/Arizona’s website indicates that this group proudly supports the entire Common Core agenda, aka Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards, including AzMerit.  

Stand is proud to have defeated a litany of anti-Common Core legislation, as well as other bills that parents have fought for, including the defeated SB1455.  This bill would have acknowledged that parents know more than the State about what’s best for their own children.  These parents wanted to opt their children out of the unvalidated, secretive AzMerit.  Stand would have none of it.  See "Top Legislative Results."   

Parents and their children suffered verbal and emotional abuse at the hands of school administrators, teachers, other parents, and other students for daring to opt out of AZMerit.  Remember?  See Sen. Allen calls for schools to respect parents over assessment concerns, The Schools’ War On Arizona’s Children: Part 1, The Schools’ War on Arizona’s Children: Part 2 Online Charter Schools The Schools’ War on Arizona’s Children: Part 3 Emotional Child Abuse.

Voters should be wary of groups that "sound" wonderful.  Scratch the surface, and you discover how pro-Statist and anti-Family they truly are.   Expect More Arizona is another such group.  See Is Expect More Arizona in it for the Money?    

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